Published February 13 2014
Starting on Tuesday, February 18, Coal Creek Parkway will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Forest Drive Southeast and Southeast 60th Street for the second phase of construction of a new bridge.
At 9 a.m. that day, Olympic Pipeline and private utilities will begin work in preparation for the city's construction, set to begin in April. Coal Creek Parkway will remain one lane in each direction until October, and the speed limit will be reduced to 25 mph through the work zone.
The city is building a new bridge to replace a 45-year-old deteriorating culvert. The project also includes a pedestrian pathway that will run underneath the bridge and connect to the Coal Creek trail and creek restoration to improve salmon migration. The city constructed the west side of the bridge last year.
The Coal Creek Parkway Bridge project is expected to continue until October, when the roadway can return to normal operation.
The city realizes that reducing Coal Creek Parkway to two lanes is going to be challenging, and may cause significant traffic delays, especially during peak commute times. At times, it may be faster to use an alternate route.
As always, drivers and bicyclists should be extra cautious when moving through the construction zone. Please note: The sidewalk in this section of the parkway will be closed.
Follow @Bellevuewa or @BvueTrans on Twitter for updates. To obtain up-to-date weekly construction information, please refer to Traffic Advisories.